Avoid These Mistakes When Visiting The Big Apple

New York is probably on more travel bucket lists than any other city in the world. It has the culture of Paris, the fashion of Milan, the theater of London, and the modern attraction of Tokyo. However, it’s easy to miss some of the must see attractions in any one trip to the city. There’s so much to enjoy that you might not be able to see it all. We’re going to look at the some of experiences you shouldn't miss. Here are some big mistakes you don’t want to be making while visiting the Big Apple.

Staying strictly in the city
It might seem a little odd that our first idea of how to better enjoy New York City is to leave it. However, the truth is that New York State has an excellent variety of day trips and stops to offer that aren’t all that far away. Especially on longer trips, being surrounded by urban sprawl can get a little overwhelming. When that’s the case, why not hit up gorgeous towns like Albany with their gorgeous historical buildings or Saratoga Springs for a quiet retreat amongst unparalleled natural beauty?

Not catching the view from the coast
That’s not to say that the city doesn’t have some natural beauty of its own. If it’s a moment of peace you want, then you just might get it by taking one of the many boat tours that have you sailing the waters around the city. More than just a moment of quiet, it also offers some of the most fantastic views of the skyline you can hope to see. There are tours hitting up all of the best landmarks of the city, from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty. Of if you prefer, you can take a tour around the many islands making up the city to really get an idea of just how big, diverse, and beautiful the city is.

Skipping the shows
When you ask a hundred people what they associate most closely with New York, you are going to get a hundred different answers. It’s that kind of city. But the theater might just be the word that pops up time and time again. It is the best and biggest stage in the world and if you’re visiting the city, you owe it to yourself to see a show like Frozen or A Bronx Tale on Broadway. If that's a little over your budget, you can always visit the TKTS booth for discount tickets or an off-Broadway production may offer just as much entertainment at a more wallet friendly price. It might not offer the same production values but it’s still a worthwhile way to feel the cultural pulse of the city.

Not simply taking a walk
While you might occasionally want a break from the hectic urban sprawl of the city, there’s no denying that there’s beauty to be found between those concrete walls, too. When talking about some of the most memorable and beautiful walks around the city, people may be inclined to redirect you to one of the parks. However, the High Lineis not to be ignored or diminished in any way. Once built as a rail line for the city, now it serves as an elevated walkway that offers views of the city that you simply can’t get elsewhere. Take a bird’s eye view, while still able to see everyday life in New York on constant display. It’s a detached yet strangely intimate view of the city and the people in it.

Forgetting to be inspired

The theater isn’t the only cultural highlight that absolutely must be explored for a full experience of New York. The city is filled with so many galleries and museums that it can be hard to choose just one or two to visit. If there are two you have to see, then they must be the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art. You can catch everything from renaissance classics to pop art, surrealist deep dives to world art at these two museums. Either one has enough to keep you occupied for days and the artwork on display at each contrast one another perfectly.

Of course, you may think that you can have a perfectly complete experience of the city without doing any of these thing. If you have a fulfilling, fun journey all of your own making, then there’s no cause for complaint. If you feel like the city still has more to offer you maybe this will help you to see what you’ve been missing.

These are such great tips, chingu! Thank you. I've never been to NYC which is really quite a travesty considering how close we are to there. Someday....on my bucket list is seeing MoMA for sure, and being able to see Broadway show will be a dream-come-true.Happy Wednesday:)

This is such a brilliant post Rowena! I'm desperate to visit New York and will keep your suggestions in mind, for sure :) Seeing a show (or two, or three, or four...!) is excellent advice - what a way to immerse yourself in the city!

If I ever visit NY, I will definitely try to catch a Broadway show. I heard such amazing things about Broadways performances, from drama to musicals, they're always said to be first class! I do hope to see one of them. Visiting NY museums is something I wouldn't want to miss either. They are so many of them and I'm sure they're all worth a visit. Great tips all of them. I couldn't agree more! I think most of them are valid for most cities, I always say that one should take advantage of day trips from some city. Why not take advantage of it? Moreover, exploring a city on foot is always the way to go.

NYC is spectacular. I never forget when I first visited because I was so taken aback by its scale and its charm that I forgot to see so much of what I wanted to see (mostly tourist places). I didn't even realise what I had missed out on until weeks later too. I did the Brooklyn Bridge and took the Staten Island Ferry. The latter was nice for city views but it was a little long and tedious at times with the crowd. What I didn't see was the Chrysler Building (though I didn't realise I managed to get a photo of it peeking in the distance with one shot) the Flatiron and (you wouldn't believe this but it's true) Times Square. Yes I didn't even walk through that. No one ever believes me when I say that because it's so quintessential NYC. I swear, once I stepped into the city everything I knew and wanted to do slipped my mind completely. My cousin was mortified about Times Square and drove me through it on the way to the airport, though I don't think that counts hahahaha!

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